Toilet device for wheel-chair invalids



Mgyl. 1.92&

H. w. GRIFFITH TOILET DEVICE FOR WHEEL CHAIR INVALIDS Filed Aug. 31 1927 mvzmo'n H.14 Griffith Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOILET DEVICE WHEEL-CHAIR INVALIDS.

Application filed August 31, 1927. Serial No. 210,579.

i is so designed that the patient is transferred to the apparatus, and vice versa, in a quick and easy manner, with no inconvenience to or, movement of the invalid and with but very little physical effort on the part of the attendant or nurse being necessary.

produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose forwhich it is designed. j j j These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

Inthe drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a seat element to co-operate with the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the device in connection with a patient in aflwheel chalr, showing the transferring of the invalid from thechair to the device.

i Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view showing an enema-vessel support applied to the chest-rest member.

Referring to the numerals of reference on the drawings, 1 denotes a base to be aflixed to the floor and having a vertically adjustable member 2 projecting upwardly therefrom and whose movement is controlled by apedal 3. The form of adjustment and control mechanism I preferably use is the jack'type employed in barbershop chairs and the like and being thus of common form, it is deemedunnecessary to illustrate the same specifically. y t

Turnable in and projecting upwardly from the member 2 is a tubular post 4, supported intermediate its ends for turning and vertical movement by a sleeve-bracket 5 seed to a wall f the bath or t ilet room A further object of the invention is to in which the apparatus is mounted. A hand-actuated clamping member 6 is mounted in the sleeve to engage the post and prevent rotation thereof, when the invalid is being transferred from thewheel chair to the device or when same is in position over a toilet.

At its upper end the post is bent to form a horizontal portion 7 extending away from the bracket 5 a certain distance; said portion being braced against deflection b a diagonal brace 8 connected thereto an to the post below the bracket. Slidably mounted on the portion 7 outwardly of the brace is a sleeve 9 held against movement when desired by a suitable clamping element 10. A short standard 11 is threaded into the sleevef) so as tobe vertically adjustable with respect thereto. This standard supports a horizontal and transversely extending chest rest pad 12. A foot rest 9 is secured to and projects horizontally from each side of the lower portion of the sleeve 9. Between these foot rests and immediately below the sleeve 9 is swivelly mounted a sleeve 9 'in -which is adjustably sclewed a stem 13 which supports a pair of transversely spaced leg pads 14.

Projecting from the outer end of the memher 7 and slidably mounted therein is a stem 15, on the outer end of which is a horizontal fork 16. The prongs of this fork are flat and are spaced approximately six inches apart. In each prong is an upstanding peg 16 which is positioned approximately at" the center of the fork to act as stops for the seat member hereafter described. The stem 15is held against movement and in any desiredposition by means of a clamping element 17 mounted in the member 7 outwardly of the sleeve 9. Approximately 'nidway between thetwo prongs of the fork is provided a rod 16" to which the seat menr her is attached in the manner hereinafter stjated'as it comes in place on the prongs.

As a necessary feature of the apparatus but separate therefrom I provide a seat in the form of a fiat element 18 adapted to rest on the fork 16 and abut against the stops 16. This seatis to resttransversely of the fork and is longer than the width of the fork, but narrower than the depth of the fork opening." The edge of the seat which is disposed outwardly of the forkris recessed as at 19 for obvious reasons, while ahead of the recess I provide a yieldable bracket to detachably support a urinal of any suitable type. At the center of the inner edge of the seat member is hinged a notched ratchet element- 18 adapted to move into locking engagement with the rod 16 as the seat is advanced onto the fork so as to prevent undesired movement of the seat relative to the fork while the apparatus is in use. The edge of the member 12 farthest from the fork is provided with socket elements 21 to dctachably support a vertical rod or the like. This rod carries one or more hooks 23 to support an enema holding vessel.

The apparatus is mounted in the room in such relation to the toilet that when the post is swung in onedirection, the fork will overhang the toilet.

In operation the post 4 is first adjusted so that the fork 16 will be disposed in a horizontal plane immediately above that of the seat cushion 24 of the wheel chair 25 occupied by the invalid. The seat 18 is then placed on the cushion under the invalid in a position about the middle of his thighs so as to support the body weight, and the urinal as not to be in the way, or the swivel mount- 7 putin place if needed. The chair is then wheeled up to the apparatus, with the fork directly facing the chair. The attendant then elevates the seat member 18 slightly with one hand and with the other moves the chair still further forward until the fork passes under the seat 18 centrally of the length thereof. Then the invalid is bent forward until his chest engages the pad 12 (which is first adjusted lengthwise of the member 7 to suit) and this elevates the invalid so that the wheel chair is now free to be wheeled back out of the way. The locking device 6 is then released and the post a isthcn swung gently to one side .until the invalid is properly superimposed over the toilet. To replace the invalid in the chair the reverse operations are carried out.

The apparatus may of course be also used in placing the invalid under a shower. The above described operations are carried out when the patient iscompletely incapacitated physically, and in this case the leg rest 14 is not used and may he removed if desired so ing of the leg rest will allow this member to swing back against the brace 8.

Theleg rest is particularly intended for use in connection with a patient having an injured leg, which must of course be supported when the patient is transferred from the chair to the apparatus. The foot rest attached to the lower part of the sleeve 9 is to be used when an enema isbeing given, since because of their position they hold the legs in a flexed attitude. In this case the chair is not withdrawn entirely clear of'the patient, and he leans backagainst the seat of the chair while the legs are supported From the foregoing description it will be I readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forthin detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for the purpose described including a post means for supporting the post in a fixed vertical position, a horizontal member supported from the 0st and adapted to project over the seat 0? a wheel chair, and a seat element to support the weight of a patient in the chair adapted to detachably rest on the member to be supported thereby.

2. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a turnable post, means for supporting the post in a fixed vertical position,

a horizontal extension on the upper end of the post, a chest-rest pad slidably mounted on the extension, and an element to support the weight of a patient slidably mounted in and projecting from. the outer end of the extension.

3. An apparatus for the purpose described including a vertical post, a horizontal member projecting laterally from and su port'- ed by the post, said member being adapted to project under the thighs of a wheel-chair patient to support the weight of such atient, and a chest-restpad above the mem er and supported from the post, said pad being disposed between the member and post.

including'a vertical post, a horizontal member projecting laterally from and supported by the post, said member being adapted to project under the thighs of a wheel-chair. patient to support the weight of such patient, and means for adjusting the member horizontally relative to the post.

5. An apparatus for the purpose described including avertical ost, a horizontal member projecting latera lyfrom and supported by the post, said member being adapted to project under the thighs of awh'eel-chair pa- 4. An apparatus for the purpose described 7 tient to support theweight of such patient, a

chest-rest pad above the member and means patient to support the weight of such patient, and leg-rest pads under the member 10 and supported by the post, said pads being located between said member and the post.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatnre.

HURWOOD W. GRIFFITH. 

